CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 157, 21 October 1876, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We wish it to be most distinctly understood that we arc not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents. J

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENEfG- MALL. Sir, —The antagonistic views held by your correspondents, " Work and Wages " and " Shearer," being exactly the views and feeling of those interested in pastoral pursuits and their employes, display a want of sympathy that is really deplorable, such feelings and antipathies not existing in the smallest degree between sheep farmers and their employes in England and Scotland. I have been for nearly thirty years engaged in different capacities in pastoral pursuits ; thirteen years of that period in New Zealand—Otago and Canterbury. Upon my arrival in Otago, in 1863, I was astonished to find that ninety per cent, of the men employed as shepherds had no practical, or even theoretical, knowledge of the duties of a shepherd, or the proper treatment of sheep or cattle. Squattera and their managers were just as bad as their shepherds. Shepherds and other station hands were treated as if they were convicts ; they were not supposed to know anytliing ; they were not to be believed or trusted ; they were miserably housed and fed. I have yet to learn that matters have changed much during the last thirteen years ; therefore, it is no wonder that the spirit of the sworn enmity which exists in the Old Country between capital and labor, in mining and manufacturing industries, wouldbe manifested here, between the ignorant amateur squatocracy and their employes. Shepherds have to live in dens that the Humane Society at Home would prosecute a man for stabling a horse in. A married shepherd is still a rarity on most stations in Otago and Canterbury, with the exception of one at the Home Station. In some instances the squatter looks upon liis shepherds as enemies, and upon shearers as rapacious spoilers. During the shearing a crowd of men are huddled into a small building as " Shearer " describes in his letter —but " Shearer " forgot to mention that inside the huts there are millions of fleas, and outside there are, as a rule, three or four dozen dogs chained up -at night, and between the howling. of "the dogs and the foraging of the fleas, foul air, and heat, sleep is almost unknown—anyway, the restoring and refreshing effects of sleep is entirely strange. Considering the long hours, the hard work, ill usage, and no facilities to eat in a rational manner, I consider that shearers are poorly paid by twenty shiUinga per one hundred sheep.

For some years it has been the custom to make" shearers sign a legal agreement, binding themselves to finish the season's shearing or else go without payment for what work they have done. In the event of a man not shearing to the satisfaction of the manager (in many instances an incapable) or noL satisfied with his treatment, if he leaves not only will he go without payment, but he runs the risk of being prosecuted for breach of agreement, and get heavily fined or a month's imprisonment—as was done to some shearers on the Manuherika two years ago. As the squatters have driven off their stations practical, trustworthy shepherds, and prohibited marriage and all other happiness and comfort to their shepherds, and ill-treat and overreaches shearers, I fail to understand how anyone can find fault with the shearers for combining to resist the tyranny of very unscrupulous taskmasters. I venture to assert that every trained sheep farmer in the Colony will agree with me in saying that if the squatters had treated properly years ago their shepherds and other station " hands," and given facilities to married men to accept station employment, and employed more shepherds, that by this time there would be such a number of trained men sympathising with the squatter and looking with a kindly feeling at the increase of his welfare, that the exodus of town labourers who flock to the " shearing" would find themselves in the minority if they wished to adopt unjust measures towards the squatting interest. I beg to ask the squatters and their advocates where are the hundreds of first-class shepherds who came to this Colony since 1864, and how many shepherds, and where did they gain their experience, is employed in Otago and Canterbury as yearly men per given thousand sheep ? I should like to be told why do the squatters persist in the pernicious habit of encouraging swagmen to frequent their stations ; why ! not employ their men in towns ? Having I voluntarily given up pastoral pursuits, and ! not being in any sense personally interested in the squatters and shearers' | quarrel, I hope that you will kindly insert this note in hopes that able correspondents will take the question up, and that it may lead to a reformation.—l am, &c, Conciliate.